My dad the barber

In 1925 my mom moved to Waukegan from Marshfield, Wis., to accept a teaching position in the Waukegan schools.

Dad, a barber from Hancock, Wis., followed her to this area. He barbered in Kenosha for a short time before being hired by O.W. Hoover, the owner of the Karcher Hotel Barber Shop.

My parents married in 1927. Mom had to leave teaching at that time because married women were not allowed to teach. She went back to teaching in 1945 when I was in kindergarten. After substituting for several years, she began teaching second grade at North School, retiring in 1964.

Dad left the Karcher Hotel and opened his own shop in half of the first floor of the building on the southeast corner of Grand Avenue and Jackson Street. The other half was occupied by John Haese's grocery store. When Mr. Haese wanted to expand his grocery business to the entire first floor, Dad moved his shop to the original hospital building on the southwest corner of North Avenue and Franklin Street. He sold the shop and retired in 1964.

I have many fond memories of growing up in Waukegan.

Mary Hubbard Cox